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Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

I just bought a Hayward SP2615X20 Super Pump 2 HP inground pool pump from Amazon. Initially, I configured it to 115V because I did not realize that I had a separate power supply for the pool. Of course, that didn't work out so I switched the configuration back to 230V. I'm pretty sure the wiring of the motor is done correctly.

Now, when I try to turn the pump on, it will only run for 2-3 seconds before it shuts down and trips the breaker. The motor runs and the vacuum works but only for a couple seconds.

The breaker is a GFCI 40 Amp circuit breaker. With a start capacitator in the pump, I don't think it should be drawing so much current that it trips the breaker.

Could there be any damage to the wiring or the pump after the I used the wrong configuration?

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

Would this cause the motor to run for a few seconds and then stop? Because that is what is happening right now. I would think that if the windings in the motor/capacitor blown out, it would not run at all.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

Welcome to TFP!

Originally Posted by lauralindy

I'm pretty sure the wiring of the motor is done correctly.

If you are just "pretty sure", I would have it checked out by a licensed electrician.

The good news is that it is unlikely that the source wiring was damaged - the circuit breaker's primary job is to protect the wiring from overload. You also could have a ground-fault issue somewhere. If it is not correctly wired for 230V, it may be reading the neutral return as a ground fault given that the breaker is a 230V GFCI. Also, keep in mind that if the motor is wired for 115V, it will pull twice the amps vs. correctly wiring it for 230V.

Bottom line: If the breaker trips within a few seconds of operation, it is a sign that it is not wired properly. I would definitely have it checked out by an electrician.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

Originally Posted by BoDarville

Welcome to TFP!

If you are just "pretty sure", I would have it checked out by a licensed electrician.

The good news is that it is unlikely that the source wiring was damaged - the circuit breaker's primary job is to protect the wiring from overload. You also could have a ground-fault issue somewhere. If it is not correctly wired for 230V, it may be reading the neutral return as a ground fault given that the breaker is a 230V GFCI. Also, keep in mind that if the motor is wired for 115V, it will pull twice the amps vs. correctly wiring it for 230V.

Bottom line: If the breaker trips within a few seconds of operation, it is a sign that it is not wired properly. I would definitely have it checked out by an electrician.

Are you talking about the motor voltage configuration wiring or the rest of the pool setup wiring specifically?

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

If you are asking about what I meant by "the source wiring", I was referring to the wiring from the breaker to the motor. If you are still able to get the pump to start up again (which it sounds like you did), that's a good indicator that the pump motor is OK, but I wouldn't press it or you risk damaging it. Please have the wiring checked out by a licensed electrician - it may save you the cost of a new pump motor as well as other collateral damage.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

Electrical engineer does not equate to licensed electrician. There are wiring diagrams that must be followed. You wired something incorrectly. I'd recommend professional help at this point. It would be awful to be injured/killed just to save a few bucks.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

My 1.5 HP pump is on a 20 AMP GFCI breaker with minimum 12 GA wire out to the pump. The plate on the motor states that max power draw on 240V is about 7.5 - 7.8 Amps, and I'm usually pulling 5-5.5 amps , so I can't imagine your 2HP taking much more than 10-12 amps on 240V.

I'd start by making sure that you ARE supplying 240V, then checking your wire size out to the pump. For a 240V pump, 12 ga should be plenty (figure extra if you are running other items as well. I'd also like to know what the wiring between breaker and pump (things like switches and timers as well). Are you running 120V stuff off of the pump circuit without a neutral wire ?

I'd also like to know pool size and why it was recommended that you get a 2HP pump - seems pretty darn big to me.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

WARNING – All wiring must be done by a licensed electrician and must conform to all
local and national codes and regulations.
WARNING – Ground and bond motor before connecting to electrical power supply. Failure
to ground and bond pump motor can cause serious or fatal electrical shock hazard.
WARNING – Do NOT ground to a gas supply line.
WARNING – To avoid dangerous or fatal electrical shock, turn OFF power to motor before
working on electrical connections.
WARNING – Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) tripping indicates electrical problem. If GFCI trips and
won’t reset, consult electrician to inspect and repair electrical system.
WARNING – Fire Hazard. Match supply voltage to motor nameplate voltage.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

WARNING – All wiring must be done by a licensed electrician and must conform to all
local and national codes and regulations.
WARNING – Ground and bond motor before connecting to electrical power supply. Failure
to ground and bond pump motor can cause serious or fatal electrical shock hazard.
WARNING – Do NOT ground to a gas supply line.
WARNING – To avoid dangerous or fatal electrical shock, turn OFF power to motor before
working on electrical connections.
WARNING – Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) tripping indicates electrical problem. If GFCI trips and
won’t reset, consult electrician to inspect and repair electrical system.
WARNING – Fire Hazard. Match supply voltage to motor nameplate voltage.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

Big difference in 115v to 240v is that the 115v uses a neutral and the 240, actually 220 does not use a neutral. Sounds like your wiring in the pump is incorrect and causing the gfci to trip.

38K gallon in ground pool. Painted with an epoxy paint (Pool Guard EHB). Painted over a plaster/fiberglass mix. Triton 2 sand filter with a 1.5 hp motor. suction side cleaner, generic style kreepy crawler style.
Up to date I have been taken to the cleaners with pool store chemicals. New to this form of pool care. (and excited about it)

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

If the pump runs a few seconds, sounds like the wiring to the the pump could be a problem. it is most likely not drawing too much amperage, but something is causing too much resistance. could be something is making a connection to ground, hince it is tripping.

Re: Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

Looking at the owners manual online for that pump indicates that wired for 115 V you would use a 30A breaker with 10AWG wire. wired for 230V you would be using a 15A breaker with 14AWG . So wired for 230V a 40A breaker is too big. It would not trip soon enough to prevent damage not only to the pump, but also to your panel etc. While 8AWG is more than is needed, it is not your problem. Good luck.